62 How to Sell Yourself
Exercise 2
Press the fingers of one hand into your diaphragm. Place the
fingers of the other hand on the back of your neck. Take an incor-
rect deep, deep breath. Suck your diaphragm in hard as you inhale.
Notice how tense the muscles in your head and neck have become.
Your whole head is filling with tension. So is your whole body.
Now do the same thing with your hands, but correct the breath-
ing rhythm. Push your fingers away as you inhale and let them return
as you exhale. Feel the tension race out of the back of your neck.
You’re experiencing the first leg of your journey toward relaxation.
In maybe three or four breaths, you have your body reacting
the way you want it to rather than reacting to the stress of the
situation. You’re controlling your body rather than letting your
body control you.
Now, let your mind take over. Obviously, you can’t stand up
in front of your board of directors, smile, and say, “Hold it just a
second, folks,” then go into your breathing exercise. But you cer-
tainly can practice proper breathing techniques inconspicuously
while waiting your turn to present. You can practice correct breath-
ing anytime you’re alone or anytime you’re in a group when the
group’s focus is on someone else.
In fact, once you’ve mastered the technique, you can do it
anywhere, anytime. If it’s done right, it won’t even require special
finger placement. It will feel right and be inconspicuous. Now your
mind can take over.
I also recommend practicing your breathing on the telephone.
Most of us spend a tremendous amount of time on the phone. It’s a
great time to put the free hand on the diaphragm and “make it hap-
pen.” It won’t be long before you’re breathing correctly all the time.
Don’t let stress destroy your control
All bets are off when stress strikes. When the guillotine is
about to fall, just about everyone tends to breathe improperly and
tighten everything.
Think about scenarios such as these:- You’re furious because a colleague just single-handedly
lost your biggest client with a stupid, thoughtless,
avoidable act.